Warrior's Blood
by Lady Casper-san
Summary: Piper doesn't play games and Leo sees a dark side to her.


**Warrior's Blood**

**Rated:** M (for violence to be safe)

Summary: Piper doesn't play games and Leo sees a dark side to her.

* * *

Her hands were filled with potions while her mind meanwhile prioritized.

'Find the demon, make him talk, then extinguish.' Piper wrapped a new handkerchief around her hand for a makeshift bandage. Later she would replace it with some gauze and medicine. But not now.

"Leo!" She shouted to the ceiling. Blue orbs manifested before her in seconds. Soon she could see blue eyes and the concerned face of her husband.

"What is it?" He asked but she was already shoving a handful of potion bottles into his hand. When he gave her a questioning look, she gave him a stern one.

"They are for the demon that's about to burst in. I need some recon since Paige and Phoebe have their hands full with being kidnapped."

At the questioning look, she sighed. "Do you guys ever watch anymore? They were kidnapped by some weird warlock or whatever that wants help to destroy his past master. When we refused him he put my sisters under a spell that disguised him as me."

Leo slipped the bottles into his awaiting pockets and then took her fidgeting hands into his. "Are you alright? What about the kids?"

She didn't return the gesture, merely let him hold her. What was the point? If she kept allowing herself to become attached, the ache would never waver and she would be sitting alone in her room, crying her eyes out. No. She wouldn't do that to herself or her sons.

Pulling her hands free, she ran one through her hair and closed her eyes. "At Dad's."

Leo found himself becoming annoyed. "What about you?"

She didn't answer. She started heading for the book but something caught her about the waist and before she knew it, her face was buried in a strong chest with arms wrapped around her.

A shudder went through the walls she conjured to keep herself hidden, protected from her emotions and all the pain that they brought. This wouldn't help her sisters. But just the smell of Leo had her knees quaking and her heart thumping.

"I need to get ready. He'll be here soon and if this doesn't go right," She felt lips against hers, silencing her worries as a sudden warmth enveloped her. Dear God, did he know how to make her weak.

"Calm." He demanded in a whisper. She felt her body ease. "We'll get them back, Piper. I promise you."

She gave a slow, but sure nod. When Leo said things like that, her heart almost always believed it. Slivers of doubt wavered through but were tamped down. Leo never lied. Not intentionally.

Letting out a sigh, Piper drew back and gave a thoughtful look. "This Elder thing seems to be working on you."

He smiled, touching her cheek. "This isn't an Elder thing. It's a soul mate thing."

She couldn't help the twitch that formed on her lips as she felt the rise of a smile.

"You ready?" She asked after a moment.

Leo pulled the bottles back out from his hands. "Ready when you are."

The smell of rotting corpses and something she rather not identify drifted through the attic. He was coming…the battle…

Looking at her husband, their eyes locked. They weren't going to lose this time.

Piper rolled her shoulders, letting all of the kinks loosen as her hands tighten securely on her ammo. The emotionless mask fell over her face.

And just like that, the wife and mother became the warrior. The fighter.

Green speckled before a man wearing robes that reached all the way to his toes and a hood around his neck appeared. His hand, with nails as long as a fingers, wrapped around a staff made of heavy metal and wood.

"Have you decided?" The warlock asked with a smirk already on his lips.

Cocky bastard.

Piper slanted her head to the side, not at all impressed. "Have you?"

At this the man frowned. "I do not know what you speak of?"

He didn't. But that didn't stop her. Raising her arm up, she tossed a crystal to the floor. Immediately a casing of light appeared, casting a cage around the warlock.

Knowing what she'd done, he looked to each place where a rock had been positioned and laughed. "Do you honestly think that this child's play will work on me? You insult me." He raised his staff above his head and started chanting a long since dead language. Piper sighed, rolling her eyes.

When nothing happened, the warlock looked about startled. "What is this? What trickery have you cast?"

Piper didn't so much as blink. "No trickery. Just simple child's play magic…along with a few additions."

The warlock's jaw tightened. "Additions?" His cold heart stilled when he saw the witch's features transform from nonchalant to pissed and dominate.

"Drops of blood that you'd left behind on our first encounter along with worm root and dragon's fire."

Suddenly the warlock was irritated.

"You little-"

"That better be witch coming out of your mouth." She showed two potion bottles in her hand. "I'm sure you know exactly what this is."

Irritation turned to cold terror. The woman no longer held back…she played with dark magic. "Why would a Charmed one need such magic?"

"Not many spells and potions are evil. Magic in itself is neutral; it's how it's used that determines whether it's white or dark magic."

She raised the first potion in her hand but instead threw her other one out, sending an explosion at his shoulder which melted to nothing more than bone and bits of flesh. He let a blood curdling scream out as he fell to his knees.

"Now," Moving closer, Piper leaned forward, "have you made your decision?"

Seething with pain and anger at being trapped, the warlock spit out, "What decision?"

Piper's smiled tightened as something inside her snapped, forming around her eyes. No demon scared him but this woman…this witch…she screamed dangerous, lethal.

"The decision on whether you're going to live by giving me my sisters," she raised the potion, his glassy eyes following the motion, "or you're going to die painfully."

When he didn't open his mouth fast enough, she launched the bottle at him. The mixture of dragon's fire torched his skin like acid while the worm root with his blood filtered through his body like poison. He screamed out, pain enveloping him magnitude.

"Now," Piper rested back on her haunches, "have you made a decision?"


End file.
